RB – you were missed and so glad to see you back! Though everything you’ve done is so timeless that we still enjoyed our RB Friday’s, but were/are hoping all’s well in your part of the world and thankful for your sad/funny but oh-so-true snark!
This is a masterpiece and I love how you capture DM at his best/worst yet manage to display the ridiculousness of his napoleanic complex! Welcome back!
Say, after seeing what Matt Stone and Trey Parker did making a big Broadway hit – and boatloads of bucks – out of The Book of Mormon (and the just as hilarious send up of its origins on South Park), I’m just wondering.
You’re so talented – I hope you are writing a spoof version of some sort (it would be the most fun if it actually starred real people). Of course you’d have to change a few things to make it more a straight parody not quite so obvious – shed a bit of that “copyrighted” crap. But you can always paraphrase and say it’s just “fiction”.
And if it hits too close to home and they tried to claim libel, it would be easy to prove the stuff is based on true accounts. (It worked for Primary Colors even though that was written under a pen name too).
Seriously, your sense for dialogue and irony is stellar. Do you write music too? Please tell me I’m not just dreaming. So MANY talented Hollywood types with bad tastes in their mouths or an axe to grind would love to be part of it I’m sure. The Dungeon Master keeps whining about how much money people are getting paid exposing his little scam – maybe this would help that really come true!
Satire has been the best weapon against this crap ever since Aristophanes. And one of the funniest things I think you emphasize is that for an organization trying to cut through the mundane crap of the every day – to “clear” the planet – the whole thing is structured like some dystopian bureaucratic nightmare of reports and paperwork – a Mobius strip of paperwork – just like all of the government and corporate entities they claim to be above and beyond. (why it also reminds me of Dilbert – which was written to laugh at all the corporate-speak of the Bellheads as they were called in the old days at AT&T). For a dude who wanted to bypass the mundane he built an empire that cranks out a whole lot of mediocrity and seems to be fueled by busywork and process instead of results. In the real world he would have been shit-canned eons ago for not reaching his absurd goals..
Trump thinks Scientology should lose tax-exempt status:
Twitter messages from a Trump family friend and top official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development claim that Trump and his family “couldn’t agree more” that the church should lose its tax-exempt status.
“From The moment I saw your series I told President Trump & his family we needed to revoke their tax exempt status. They couldn’t agree more, but please don’t publicize that yet,” Lynne Patton wrote to actress Leah Remini
Whether they’re being safepointed by the Princess or not, this type of press is excellent because it creates PR pressure and seeing how many of us care about this will hopefully push people in a place to do something to take action!!!
Thanks Mike & Leah for all you do & here’s to a hopeful 3rd season to keep turning those screws to get that exemption revoked and hopefully get your families & loved ones OUT ASAP!
Fifteen minutes later…COB; “Where’s the razor wire dude?! I want this office door lined with razor wire from top to bottom like five minutes ago! That Fucking Leah Remini won’t be getting in here anytime soon!”
So funny RB!! Go escort go and tell the world about the Nazi regime that’s on the inside of the fence!! I think we need a bit of laughter now and then so THANK YOU RB!!!??
So glad RB is back! Love the old posts too. It’s amazing how timely they are. Shows how long this battle has been fought. Thanks Mike for your strength in character to not give up. I don’t begrudge one penny you earn fighting this battle and we know it doesn’t come close to compensating you for the actual hours worked. In fact this reminds me, its time for my annual donation!
Welcome back, RB! As usual this had me laughing. Have to say though, your little subtle visual touches, e.g. DM’s cup, the “When In Doubt – Donate” sign, and last but not least and somehow ALWAYS, seeing just the top of his head whether over his desk or a podium never fails to crack me up!
My favorite part, Spike! Everytime I see your screen name I replay the video of the song you did for he-who-shall-not-be-named a few months back & it makes me laugh all over again! You’re brilliantly talented AND hilarious!
This Friday turned out to be the Best Day because RB’s Brilliance is shining even more. May you light up my day and many others for as long as you want. Love You.??
Somewhere out of the Gold Base, past the fence
There’s a land that I heard of once in the RPF
Somewhere out of the Gold Base and Big Blue
All the dreams that I dare to dream really could come true
Someday I’ll blow beyond these gates
And wake up where this place is far behind me
Where there are no more spying eyes
Away above the razor wire
That’s where you’ll find me
Somewhere out of the Gold Base, spirits fly
They fly free from the mind rape
Why then, oh why can’t I?
If happy Mr. Rinder flies beyond the Gold Base
Why, oh why can’t I?
Brilliant! Had a good chuckle over this this one RB, tku.
It’s scary funny how well you know and can describe in satirical form that a Scientologist is trained to own both ends of a comm cycle backwards simultaneously. That’s what a clay table and too much sec checking will do to you.
Glad you like it. It was your comment on on a cartoon last month that got me started on this one.
You mentioned “razor wire contractors” and I instantly went into A=A=A computations which of course resulted in the story line of this cartoon.
Isn’t it grand to have such a thorough understanding of how the human mind works.
Thanks.
RB
LOL, I’m honoured to have assisted. I’ve actually laid razor wire a couple of times. It’s evil stuff and is truly that sharp, slices you to pieces. I still have one of the gloves used. Extra heavy duty leather covered with 3/8″ steel rivets all over the palm area, up the fingers, thumb and down to the wrist. I use it when I shuck oysters.
Keep up the great work, your imagination is inspiring (not for the Cof$ though, hehehe…).
Great panels, I sometimes fear you get too much in DM’s head; for sure you have him pegged. And, the sea orgers are accurately portrayed as having NO ability to confront or handle any WOG.
I disagree Graham. Nothing would be better than the one foisted off on Gold by the psycho El Turd. He placed Estates & Staff training & auditing plus Qual for ALL base orgs onto it. A MASSIVE Cluster f@ck. Only El Turd with his amazing grasp of administration could have thought that would work.
Did anyone see the Huffington Post article about the Scientology organization losing tax exemption status? Any organization that coerces family disconnection, abortions of its staff (sea org), complicate in having Staff looking up members Credit Reports and coercing them to put heavy debts on Credit Cards based upon the information Staff looked up towards a Church of Scientology non-refundable donation, showing up at the home and place of work of members to harass or force coercion for donations on pre-paid years of services, church status, or church expansion charities, as well as taking advantage of religious volunteer time by mandating and coercing volunteers into a full-time work schedule, these are all actions of a destructive nonprofit in terms of personal and family life. Also, it is typical for religious volunteer time to be paid well-below the average religious worker demographic for the US state that Scientology is operating. This goes against LRH’s own policy of a paying staff at a functioning Org, but it is absolutely true according to IRS data on Religious Workers. In other words, most religions pay their full-time religious staff a living wage with the obvious exception of Scientology. They are not a ‘new’ religion that needs the money to expand, they have over 3 billion dollars in assets.
Now the claim by Sea Org staff that I’ve spoken to is simple: this is the way Scientology is. Yes, I agree – this is the way Scientology is.
In summary, we could say that, in exchange for its wholly undeserved federal tax-exempt status, the Co$ provides very little tangible public benefit and does an incredible amount of very well-documented harm to its own parishioners, and to our society as a whole.
RB is really swingin’ for the fence here, and it has Dear Leader shaking in his tiny bespoke shoes for fear that this time his duped and craven minions are going to finally wake the fuck up from their cult Kool-aid coma and start demanding answers to such obvious questions as, “Why IS the razor wire on top of the fences surrounding the cult’s HQ in not-Hemet turned inward, facing the inmates, er, $ea Org staff living and working there?”
Accessing credit data without authorization is a felony in most states, especially if the data is then used for coercive purposes. While the statute of limitations often saves Scn’s bacon, it’s this ever-accumulating body of evidence that now appears to be finally turning the tide somewhat.
“Accessing credit data without authorization is a felony in most states…”
A serious felony. But Co$ doesn’t do that.
What they do is join up with any number of hundreds of websites like My Life, Intellus, Radaris, BeenVerified…there are many of these on the internet. Some of them offer “free searches” to rope you in to join; then you pay them a monthly fee.
All that is needed to do a search on someone is their full name, age or approximate age, and a town and state where they live, or once lived. What comes up is every address the person has ever had, every phone number, email, Facebook, Instagram and other social media, their bankruptcies, traffic tickets, criminal and civil convictions, marriages and divorces – its all there. Someone’s address can be searched also with these services and what will come up will be names on deeds, mortgage and second mortgage information – lots of info on a person.
How do I know this?
Because 6 months ago I joined up with one of them because I’m saving to buy a place and I wanted to see what would come up on me in one of these searches. I DID A SEARCH ON MYSELF and nearly had a heart attack because I was listed as having had a bankruptcy. I’ve never had a bankruptcy and I was quite upset to see this and long story short had a hell of a time getting this false data removed from my record. So do I know that data on these things can be inaccurate. But, wow, lots of stuff on there about me, going back to the late 80s and aside from this crazy bankruptcy thing, the rest of it WAS accurate! All the places I’d lived. All my old phone numbers. These sights also list RELATIVES and “associates” and former business and schools. Its all out there!
What’s on these reports is public information. It isn’t running someone’s credit. For that you need the person’s social security #, and running someone’s credit without that person’s written permission is QUITE a serious illegality and actionable with damages. I would doubt Co$ does that, if for no other reason that they wouldn’t have someone’s SS#. But paying a monthly fee to these places like PeopleFinder and so forth most probably IS how they find former still ins who have been gone for decades. Name, age, town, state – that’s all that’s needed, and bingo.
Well, this all may be TMI or possibly very unwelcome news with regard to this subject but in any event here it is and I hope it proves helpful in some way.
I’ll have to look up the article I found, but my brother, having been in a sensitive branch of the military, was trained on how one can get themselves removed from these sites. He has an easy/obvious reason, but there are ways you can get yours removed (and it’s horrid that with duplicate names, one can end up connected with things that aren’t theirs since MANY prospective landlords & smaller-business employers use these sites!) altogether, beyond even inaccurate info!
That said – when someone uses a site like this it does NOT show up as a credit inquiry, but I have friends who are exes that HAVE had actual credit inquiries show up due to CO$ checking their credit as a potential creditor (not sure how they manage that, but they do…). Also the attorneys they use have access to sites such as Lexus Nexis which can be used to do the same (& tend to be much more accurate) which, based on what I’ve heard from a few people, sounds like how they’re getting their data. But there ARE ways to tell if that type of system has been used to access ones’ data and unless there is a provable legal interest (not “oh they COULD maybe sue us”) where if someone knows they’ve been watched or checked could constitute a violation of privacy.
The internet has brought a LOT of good and made finding info on CO$, for example, very easy. But sadly can be used to invade privacy quite easily unless one knows how to privatize their information completely! My brother showed me at one point, but I’m betting there are contributors here that can speak into how you can control your information as an average private citizen, as well!
Golden, I wouldn’t hold your breath for the Trump Administration to revoke the cult’s tax exempt status for two reasons; the first being that the power to do this is not the President’s but the IRS’s, which in turn is part of the Dept of the Treasury, and second, there is no upside to this for Trump as he is now under the covers with the Religious Right who comprise his core base – you know – those 15 million who voted in the primaries and made him the nominee? Those people are for the most part Evangelicals who believe that if fringe religions like Scientology get their tax exempt status revoked then THEY will be next, and the government will want THEIR tax status revoked. Its the same “logic” that compels the “2nd Amendment people” to lobby against legislation for background checks to determine whether or not someone is of sane mind to own a gun – if the effective laws can prevent mentally ill people from owning guns, then the government’s NEXT step will be to take guns away from people who are NOT mentally ill. This is the way they “think”. Anyway, the Christian Right has made their Faustian bargain with Trump, which of course doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t throw them under the bus, because he can be depended upon to throw anyone under the bus if it serves him to do so, but it doesn’t serve him to do so, at all.
“Evangelicals who believe that if fringe religions like Scientology get their tax exempt status revoked then THEY will be next, and the government will want THEIR tax status revoked.”
Not sure if you’ll consider it “evidence” but I have politically uber-right conservative evangelical relatives in Georgia who told me this.
They loathe the Church of Scientology – it appalls them, because of abortion. They’re well aware of the hypocrisy of this “church” pretending to be all for “family values” when in actuality it has punishing policies that split up families and force its clergy to have abortions.
On the other hand (they explained) they don’t want to “rock the boat” when it comes to tax exemptions for established religions, so even though they hate Co$ they will not agitate to have their tax status removed.
Unlike Catholics or Jews, Evangelicals vote as a block – 81% of them voted Republican in the last presidential election. As a group they are quite powerful politically and important to the Republican Party because they vote as a block. If the Evangelicals wanted to they could make a LOT of trouble for the Church of Scientology.
AS A VERY LARGE GROUP of churches, the Evangelicals do not decry Co$. Nor, will you ever hear any of their Christian Right leaders saying anything against Co$. They could if they wanted to. There’s plenty of material there for them to condemn.
But they don’t, ever. Correct me if I’m wrong.
They believe that the goal of the government and all Democrats is to destroy God and the family and religion and to turn all of American society into morally corrupt and degenerate, tax paying slaves. The government is a God-less entity. “The power to tax is the power to destroy” and the government wants to destroy religion by taxing it.
Ergo, since Co$ is a legal church, the Evangelicals will not publicly condemn its abuses in the media. They’ll stand by Co$ because to attack it is to leave themselves open for attack.
This is what my relatives told me., Bix. Its what they believe, what their Evangelical friends believe and its what their pastor tells them, they said.
So there’s my evidence. I wouldn’t mind being wrong about it, I’d like to believe that my Georgia relatives are not as typical of the Evangelical mindset as it would appear.
One clarification: When I said that the Evangelicals will “stand by” Co$ I don’t mean they will publicly defend or counter the accusations of Co$ human rights abuses. I misspoke somewhat. What I meant was that they will not publicly ATTACK CO$. They (meaning their leaders) remain SILENT in the media with regard to Co$’s Disconnection policy, Fair Game policy, and silent too about the female exScientologists claims of having been ordered by Co$ to undergo abortiions. Their silence in the media about such things is what I meant when I said they will “stand by” Co$,
Thank you for this Bixntram! I’m getting REALLY sick of these blanket statements for which I’d technically qualify (as would a LOT of people on this & Tony’s site that really afraid to say so out loud because of the blanket labels) as Evangelical, because we’re non-denominational Christians. And nope, we don’t ALL love Trump (even if we didn’t like Hilary either) nor do ANY that I’ve spoken with want to see CO$ keep their tax exemption!
I’ve worked with two different churches I’ve attended in the past 5yrs (big ones, too…) on SOP for ind ministries & tax filings & we have EXTENSIVE handbooks on ALL rules we’re required to follow because we HONOR them & cant stand watching ANY religion (even other Christian churches or the many disgusting TV guys…) openly flout tax rules & have no issue with ANYone breaking rules losing their exempt status!
Because as I read this disgusting bull… from CO$ trying to bring in ever more $, we’re all kicking in to buy grocery cards, turkeys & other things for Thanksgiving to ensure no families go without Thanksgiving dinner.
Note: I was a recipient of this type of charity & even given a CAR from a church I did NOT attend when I was a single mom. I moved, changed churches, still have all my friends & no one was mad at me!!! Only thing that was asked of me was to “pay-it-forward” when I was in a better place by helping others!
NO year-end fundraisers, no $ collecting, just organizing to get through Thanksgiving, then jump into Christmas season where we’ll be adopting foster kids & families-in-need to ensure they have gifts & food since holiday breaks are tough on families who typically count on free lunch @school during school. So yeah – getting really tired of being thrown into labeled buckets by posters I typically respect the hell out of!
I never said that Evangelicals Christians don’t help or care about people, or that their churches don’t do much needed good works.among the poor, nor that ALL Evangelical Churches are flouting tax rules (or that any of them are , for that matter, as that’s not something of which I’m knowledgeable. I only know how Co$ flouts tax rules, not any other church.
I’m sorry that what I wrote, or the way I wrote it, caused you to extrapolate that I was lumping Evangelical Christians in with the Church of Scientology as regards the latter’s abuse of their tax exempt status and its fraud in extracting money their parishioners believe is helping humanity but which is actually not helping anyone except Davit Miscavige.
I never intended to communicate such a gross inaccuracy, and if I did, please accept my apology.
I appreciate that & no, I didn’t take it as thinking you’d said other churches don’t do good works (you’ve actually said the opposite many times about CO$ not being a “church” because they do NOT do the good things others do) I reread & realized my post sounded like I took it that way. I meant to just comment on why I get so disgusted w/their end of year push for donations while other churches/religions are helping others. (All the churches I’ve worked with use a June-June fiscal year because Christmas is such a busy outreach time.)
Reading your follow-up post about relatives & experiences you’ve had helps me also see what you’ve experienced & yeah, sadly I’ve met a Some Christians that don’t want to open that can of worms – usually the ones that follow the celebrity pastors who do much of the same personal enrichment crap that DM does.
Thankfully I’ve been at churches with pastors like the one in Clearwater that Mike’s become friends with who will openly speak out against CO$ (ours even mentioned it in a sermon & how we should all be loud & help work against any cult or organization abusing people, esp in the name of religion) and other abusive cults and aren’t closed minded & bigoted as, sadly, some of the loudest ones out there are the ones who twist the Bible & what the message is supposed to be to support their own twisted prejudices & few things bother me, as a Christian, than people like that (Pat Robertson anyone?!?! Vomit!) and for people like that, I truly apologize!
Just please know that though a lot of “us” do & say things that are the opposite of love & grace, most of us aren’t like that. I’m willing to do ANYthing to see these guys lose their tax-exempt status & wouldn’t support or submit to any pastor or leadership that would fear speaking out or hide while something like the CO$ exists simply to protect their own interests! And I’m sincerely sorry for all those that use the excuse of being a Christian to hide or avoid addressing this horrible abuse head-on. That’s not the Jesus I’ve learned about – He was flipping over tables in the temple of people taking advantage of people & spoke out against the leaders of his own religions at the time (Judaism – the Pharisees) who were being legalistic & classifying the poor, the sick, etc. as unclean or less… so when I hear of people using that as an EXCUSE for anyone to be abused, taken advantage of, lied to, etc… it disgusts me in a way I don’t have words to express… I’m SO sorry! I just do hear a lot of people grouping all Christians together, just like they do with Muslims, Scientologists, etc… and if there’s anything I’ve learned here & at Tony’s blog, it’s that when we stop looking at any group of people as individuals who each deserve to be treated with dignity & that each individual person & life is precious and unique… then it feels like we do the same thing CO$ does in devaluing the individual then that’s where it becomes easier to judge & dismiss.
I absolutely respect (so much) what you’ve been through, how you feel for people still suffering from the mind-f%*k and especially how you speak out about it all! So that’s where I get bummed because I totally get why anyone who’s experienced CO$ would be disgusted by organized religion in general! My faith is everything to me, but I respect everyone’s right to believe (or not) and truly HATE the abuses & DO want to help.
I just feel sometimes the anger & disgust people feel towards their CO$ experiences cause the assumption that anyone involved in religion of any kind is deluded, brainwashed or unwilling/unable to speak out when we see something wrong. I just know that’s not my reality or the reality of most people I know.
(Sorry for the rant/novel!)
Jenny, I just returned to the blog and read your post above and I just want to hug you right now!
Understood and agreed on all, and thank you for reminding me of what I often preach and God help me, I do mean “preach” to others:
“…its that when we stop looking at any group of people as individuals who each deserve to be treated with dignity & that each individual person and life is precious and unique …then if feels like we do the same thing Co$ does in devaluing the individual then that’s where it becomes easier to judge and dismiss”.
Jenny, I believe with my whole heart and soul in what you said here, and I needed it pointed out to me that my language of late has not reflected this.
I do wrestle with a kind of automatic prejudice against the group amorphously called, “the Christian Right”.
It isn’t analytical. Its emotional. Long and boring story as to why. “Why” isn’t important. Its all stupid.
Analytically, I know its wrong. Analytically, I know its unfair and unhelpful and inaccurate. And stupid. Not to mention, hypocritical.
After all, I can’t go around sounding off about intolerance while reserving the right to be intolerant myself!
I can’t rant against painting groups with a broad brush and do the same thing!
So, Jenny, don’t apologize because you just helped me a lot.
You are you,a unique and caring individual, and a good kind persona and there are lots of good,kind,caring individuals in your group, and there are bad people in every group..
Thank you for reminding me of this truth.and,again, last but not least, I’m glad you’re here.
Katy Liedsays
Absolutely agree. Religious people affiliated with organized religion abhor the practices of COS but believe it will be the first domino to fall, and that the anti-scientology crowd is a few ex-COS members covering a larger group of atheists and agnostics who want to take away IRS protection for every religion.
There was absolutely a buzz of fear running though this crowd with the rumor that Leah Remini was going to move to Jehovah’s Witnesses next, and I am glad that Mike Rinder put that rumor to bed.
I think Chris Shelton thinks that he is tapped out as far as COS goes, and has moved to Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. All he is doing is diluting the message that brought him subscribers in the first place, and representing himself as an expert on critical thinking with respect to faith– he is up against youtubers who spent decades honing their expertise on this area while he spent decades in the Sea Org.
Aqua, Trump cannot order it taken. Obamao ordered the IRS to do that with some Tea Party orgs and the IRS got put through the shredder for not following the correct legal steps.
That is also why so many policies of the last Admin are now undone. They were not legally put into place. Just illegal fiat.
Hopefully he will request that the IRS investigate. That is ALL he can legally do.
Wynski, I know Trump can’t order it. Perhaps my post was unclear as I wrote it in a hurry. A president can’t exec order to take away or give tax exempt status, you’re right. He can only as you say exert pressure on the Tax Commissioner to investigate the legitimacy thereof in that the head of the Dept of the Treasury is not elected but appointed by the President. Perhaps what I wrote was unclear because I emphasized and expanded a great deal on Trump getting the Republican nomination by (largely) Evangelical Christians. And lastly, if Trump would exert this pressure on the Dept of the Treasury / IRS to start looking into the legitimacy of Co$’s tax exempt status I would not only vote for him, I would write him a thank you letter including a total apology for every snarky thing I’ve ever said about him to anybody. It would put me completely on his side, seriously.
Aqua, Trump wasn’t voted in by Evangelical Christians. The tipping point demographic wise were Democrats who crossed over (or stayed home) in states that have been Dem (Wisconsin & Florida for instance). Due to disappointment with the prior 8 years. Also those Dems who REALLY didn’t like Hillary. If Bernie had been the nominee he probably would have won. So, it wasn’t the Evangelical Christians as they would not have voted Dem no matter who ran.
Wynski, you are very dear to me 🙂 Again, I agree. I didn’t say that Evangelical Christians voted Trump IN. Or else, I didn’t intend to say that, and perhaps my language was unclear.
What I MEANT was that Evangelical Christians were and are his CORE base. They put him over the edge to become the Republican nominee.
They weren’t enough to get him elected once it was between him and Hillary and you’re absolutely right that many Dems REALLY didn’t like Hillary – many of them Millenials – who, when Bernie didn’t get the nomination, picked up their marbles and went home, didn’t vote.
And given how many Millenials I personally know who refused to vote and would have voted for Bernie if he had been the nominee, I would agree that he very likely would have been President if he had been the nominee. The many young kids I know (and I work with them so I know them) ADORED Bernie! Go figure 🙂
Well, for one thing, they’re up to their necks in student loan debt, starting from the age of 22. But that’s another subject.
Actually a quick search on the internet pulls up articles indicating that the biggest fear evangelicals or other churches have about losing tax-exempt status is more directed at the statute they not be directly involved in politics. The Christian right wing – who now form an impressive faction in Congress – are already working to make that an issue of the past by suggesting reworking the Constitution to allow less separation between religion and state. (look up the Dominionists). Actually, I read that the IRS has not investigated any church for that or other reasons since 2009, although the article referenced above from The Hill indicates that only the Department of Treasury could initiate such an investigation by the IRS – they will not respond to individual calls for such action.
And several states have thrown out lawsuits regarding tax status from petitioners that objected to how the church provided certain “lifestyle” perks for their clergy, like housing allowances (although they certainly don’t reach the bar of ostentation that the “Chairman” attains).
I also read about how certain evangelical churches try to ameliorate such vulnerabilities by becoming visibly involved in other “good works” that cross ideological political lines, like fighting against racism and human trafficking.
It would seem their biggest concern would be to lose tax status for their large and profitable schools and universities, so they keep up with what the government believes is necessary. And it would appear that CoS is trying to imitate those efforts with their superficial “charity” shell games. I imagine there are as many minions there researching the situation as there are producing hateful internet swill on their detractors.
The best case scenario may simply be to go after DM himself and leave the tax status thing alone. Jim Bakker, the famous evangelist, was convicted of fraud and conspiracy for making promises he could not fulfill. (And his opulent lifestyle was used as evidence of personal profit from such fraud).
As was of course LRH himself in 1978 – convicted of illegal business practices for making false claims about his ability to cure illnesses in France – for which he was sentenced to four years in prison that he never served (and people wonder why he loved that navy model of living as much as possible in international waters?). Several other evangelists have been indicted on income tax fraud – another personal crime that has to do with individual tax responsibilities and not the exemption of the church itself..
And going after the head of a church who is disproportionately benefitting from his status seems far more likely to be successful if there is not much other management infrastructure. In other words, having an autocrat at the top might be a good thing if it would provide proof of disproportionate personal benefit..
It’s hard to know if the abuses that exist now in CoS would continue in the vacuum of regime change, but that just might be an easier legal course to initially follow, imho. And it would certainly send shockwaves throughout the org (which sounds more and more fragile and tenuous with everything I see).
Remember, they never got Al Capone for all the heinous crimes he committed. He got convicted of tax evasion.
Actually we support background checks, and support making govt agencies having a mandatory reporting of their records, which most states and military bodies oppose.
What we oppose is mandatory checks on private sales which would result in a defacto gun registration, which we vehemetly oppose.
The NICS system is a mandatory check that every FFL dealer must complete before a firearm transfer. States and governmental bodies are NOT required to submit their data, leaving the database incomplete.
Mandatory for us, optional for govt and military, = completely flawed system.
Do you begin to see our frustration with gun control proposals that ‘sound reasonable’ but in execution are horribly flawed?
Me too. I can just imagine people telling miscabbage things and ending up being so confused that they haven’t the faintest idea what he’s talking about!!
I’m on the last bit of your book Karen. It’s absolutely brilliant. Thanks for writing it. I still don’t know how you sea org guys put up with and actually survived the shit that you lived through. A bloody miracle!!
I can’t even begin to imagine MicroMouse’s thought processes now. And supposedly, President Trump may be entering the fray against Scio…which means MicroMouse will be square in the headlights again, the last place he could ever wish for.
Yep, “blinded by the light,” sounds like a song we all know well hey?
Scientology is earning its place in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. It’s days of being a too hot a potato being thrown around the official judiciary are hopefully coming to an end.
Bye bye MicroMouse! Bags packet yet?
OK that’s great, but I was actually hoping after the second frame that a fight would break out. My buddy Freddy was once selling Dianetics books and sold one to some guy’s wife (Freddy was a good looking, charming guy to women – but also good at martial arts and abrasive towards men). The husband came back shortly afterwards, grabbed some money out of his hand and thrust back the Dianetics book. Freddy fucked him up. I was hoping to see the two SO guys get similarly fucked up for all their rudeness.
I hope, I hope, I hope little davey reads this blog.
RB hilarious and cogent as ever. Bravo!
Hooray! RB is back! Three cheers….no….three ladders for RB!!
Razor wire, lets not forget about the bullet proof glass!
RB – you were missed and so glad to see you back! Though everything you’ve done is so timeless that we still enjoyed our RB Friday’s, but were/are hoping all’s well in your part of the world and thankful for your sad/funny but oh-so-true snark!
This is a masterpiece and I love how you capture DM at his best/worst yet manage to display the ridiculousness of his napoleanic complex! Welcome back!
Aw, nap time for the COB.
I wonder if the jam jams have feet? I do know what is in his milk bottle, however.
RB – another masterpiece!
Say, after seeing what Matt Stone and Trey Parker did making a big Broadway hit – and boatloads of bucks – out of The Book of Mormon (and the just as hilarious send up of its origins on South Park), I’m just wondering.
You’re so talented – I hope you are writing a spoof version of some sort (it would be the most fun if it actually starred real people). Of course you’d have to change a few things to make it more a straight parody not quite so obvious – shed a bit of that “copyrighted” crap. But you can always paraphrase and say it’s just “fiction”.
And if it hits too close to home and they tried to claim libel, it would be easy to prove the stuff is based on true accounts. (It worked for Primary Colors even though that was written under a pen name too).
Seriously, your sense for dialogue and irony is stellar. Do you write music too? Please tell me I’m not just dreaming. So MANY talented Hollywood types with bad tastes in their mouths or an axe to grind would love to be part of it I’m sure. The Dungeon Master keeps whining about how much money people are getting paid exposing his little scam – maybe this would help that really come true!
Satire has been the best weapon against this crap ever since Aristophanes. And one of the funniest things I think you emphasize is that for an organization trying to cut through the mundane crap of the every day – to “clear” the planet – the whole thing is structured like some dystopian bureaucratic nightmare of reports and paperwork – a Mobius strip of paperwork – just like all of the government and corporate entities they claim to be above and beyond. (why it also reminds me of Dilbert – which was written to laugh at all the corporate-speak of the Bellheads as they were called in the old days at AT&T). For a dude who wanted to bypass the mundane he built an empire that cranks out a whole lot of mediocrity and seems to be fueled by busywork and process instead of results. In the real world he would have been shit-canned eons ago for not reaching his absurd goals..
Trump thinks Scientology should lose tax-exempt status:
Twitter messages from a Trump family friend and top official at the Department of Housing and Urban Development claim that Trump and his family “couldn’t agree more” that the church should lose its tax-exempt status.
“From The moment I saw your series I told President Trump & his family we needed to revoke their tax exempt status. They couldn’t agree more, but please don’t publicize that yet,” Lynne Patton wrote to actress Leah Remini
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/359730-trump-thinks-scientology-should-lose-its-tax-exempt-status
Mike & Leah FTW!
Whether they’re being safepointed by the Princess or not, this type of press is excellent because it creates PR pressure and seeing how many of us care about this will hopefully push people in a place to do something to take action!!!
Thanks Mike & Leah for all you do & here’s to a hopeful 3rd season to keep turning those screws to get that exemption revoked and hopefully get your families & loved ones OUT ASAP!
I’m leaning more towards Dippinshitter MacCrappy making a large, possibly secret, donation to Trump to make the situation go away.
Fifteen minutes later…COB; “Where’s the razor wire dude?! I want this office door lined with razor wire from top to bottom like five minutes ago! That Fucking Leah Remini won’t be getting in here anytime soon!”
Sorry RB Breaking News
On Yahoo’s web page the lead article is………………..
“Trump Thinks Scientology Should Have Tax Exemption Revoked, Longtime Aide Says
HuffPost Yashar Ali,HuffPost 20 hours ago “”
Zoweeeeee. The Court of Public Opinion is now in session!
Now you will have to googled: ‘Scientology tax exemption’ to see it.
This was carried by newsweek, huffpost, and washington post. Tony was first to bring it up.
So funny RB!! Go escort go and tell the world about the Nazi regime that’s on the inside of the fence!! I think we need a bit of laughter now and then so THANK YOU RB!!!??
Welcome back RB! I laughed so hard!
So glad RB is back! Love the old posts too. It’s amazing how timely they are. Shows how long this battle has been fought. Thanks Mike for your strength in character to not give up. I don’t begrudge one penny you earn fighting this battle and we know it doesn’t come close to compensating you for the actual hours worked. In fact this reminds me, its time for my annual donation!
Very funny! Love the detail of the upside down cross!!!
Welcome back, RB! As usual this had me laughing. Have to say though, your little subtle visual touches, e.g. DM’s cup, the “When In Doubt – Donate” sign, and last but not least and somehow ALWAYS, seeing just the top of his head whether over his desk or a podium never fails to crack me up!
Very understated snarkaliciousness.
Welcome back RB. So funny – the scientology back and forth jargon – and then david miscavige conversation – lol – crazy making shit.
OMG perfect, the escort escaped with his ladder!! ROFL!!
My favorite part, Spike! Everytime I see your screen name I replay the video of the song you did for he-who-shall-not-be-named a few months back & it makes me laugh all over again! You’re brilliantly talented AND hilarious!
Thank you jenyfurr, have a great day!
Kudos!
This Friday turned out to be the Best Day because RB’s Brilliance is shining even more. May you light up my day and many others for as long as you want. Love You.??
Somewhere out of the Gold Base, past the fence
There’s a land that I heard of once in the RPF
Somewhere out of the Gold Base and Big Blue
All the dreams that I dare to dream really could come true
Someday I’ll blow beyond these gates
And wake up where this place is far behind me
Where there are no more spying eyes
Away above the razor wire
That’s where you’ll find me
Somewhere out of the Gold Base, spirits fly
They fly free from the mind rape
Why then, oh why can’t I?
If happy Mr. Rinder flies beyond the Gold Base
Why, oh why can’t I?
“If happy Mr. Rinder flies beyond the Gold Base
Why, oh why can’t I?”
Thanks, Moxie. You’ve done it again. AGAIN! Evil – pure EVIL, Moxie! 🙂
Moxie, go back to yesterday’s blog; I revised the refrain.
???
Love it! Kudos, Moxie
Thanks trumpet man.
Moxie – definitely belongs in Scientology The Musical!
I think it would be a big hit, like Book of Mormon. Working title: Con of Ron.
Brilliant! Had a good chuckle over this this one RB, tku.
It’s scary funny how well you know and can describe in satirical form that a Scientologist is trained to own both ends of a comm cycle backwards simultaneously. That’s what a clay table and too much sec checking will do to you.
Glad you like it. It was your comment on on a cartoon last month that got me started on this one.
You mentioned “razor wire contractors” and I instantly went into A=A=A computations which of course resulted in the story line of this cartoon.
Isn’t it grand to have such a thorough understanding of how the human mind works.
Thanks.
RB
LOL, I’m honoured to have assisted. I’ve actually laid razor wire a couple of times. It’s evil stuff and is truly that sharp, slices you to pieces. I still have one of the gloves used. Extra heavy duty leather covered with 3/8″ steel rivets all over the palm area, up the fingers, thumb and down to the wrist. I use it when I shuck oysters.
Keep up the great work, your imagination is inspiring (not for the Cof$ though, hehehe…).
Lol!!! Love it.
Welcome back RB!
Great panels, I sometimes fear you get too much in DM’s head; for sure you have him pegged. And, the sea orgers are accurately portrayed as having NO ability to confront or handle any WOG.
“We don’t even have an Org Board” Really?! At Gold Base? If true yet another sign of the End Times.
I disagree Graham. Nothing would be better than the one foisted off on Gold by the psycho El Turd. He placed Estates & Staff training & auditing plus Qual for ALL base orgs onto it. A MASSIVE Cluster f@ck. Only El Turd with his amazing grasp of administration could have thought that would work.
The best part is just seeing the top of his head over the desk…. I wonder if he has to sit on phone books in his office chair? hilarious
Yay…RB is back
Rk back.Funnier than ever.”The escort stole my ladder”
I love the bit about the escort stealing his ladder, very funny, welcome back RB.
Did anyone see the Huffington Post article about the Scientology organization losing tax exemption status? Any organization that coerces family disconnection, abortions of its staff (sea org), complicate in having Staff looking up members Credit Reports and coercing them to put heavy debts on Credit Cards based upon the information Staff looked up towards a Church of Scientology non-refundable donation, showing up at the home and place of work of members to harass or force coercion for donations on pre-paid years of services, church status, or church expansion charities, as well as taking advantage of religious volunteer time by mandating and coercing volunteers into a full-time work schedule, these are all actions of a destructive nonprofit in terms of personal and family life. Also, it is typical for religious volunteer time to be paid well-below the average religious worker demographic for the US state that Scientology is operating. This goes against LRH’s own policy of a paying staff at a functioning Org, but it is absolutely true according to IRS data on Religious Workers. In other words, most religions pay their full-time religious staff a living wage with the obvious exception of Scientology. They are not a ‘new’ religion that needs the money to expand, they have over 3 billion dollars in assets.
Now the claim by Sea Org staff that I’ve spoken to is simple: this is the way Scientology is. Yes, I agree – this is the way Scientology is.
In summary, we could say that, in exchange for its wholly undeserved federal tax-exempt status, the Co$ provides very little tangible public benefit and does an incredible amount of very well-documented harm to its own parishioners, and to our society as a whole.
RB is really swingin’ for the fence here, and it has Dear Leader shaking in his tiny bespoke shoes for fear that this time his duped and craven minions are going to finally wake the fuck up from their cult Kool-aid coma and start demanding answers to such obvious questions as, “Why IS the razor wire on top of the fences surrounding the cult’s HQ in not-Hemet turned inward, facing the inmates, er, $ea Org staff living and working there?”
Accessing credit data without authorization is a felony in most states, especially if the data is then used for coercive purposes. While the statute of limitations often saves Scn’s bacon, it’s this ever-accumulating body of evidence that now appears to be finally turning the tide somewhat.
“Accessing credit data without authorization is a felony in most states…”
A serious felony. But Co$ doesn’t do that.
What they do is join up with any number of hundreds of websites like My Life, Intellus, Radaris, BeenVerified…there are many of these on the internet. Some of them offer “free searches” to rope you in to join; then you pay them a monthly fee.
All that is needed to do a search on someone is their full name, age or approximate age, and a town and state where they live, or once lived. What comes up is every address the person has ever had, every phone number, email, Facebook, Instagram and other social media, their bankruptcies, traffic tickets, criminal and civil convictions, marriages and divorces – its all there. Someone’s address can be searched also with these services and what will come up will be names on deeds, mortgage and second mortgage information – lots of info on a person.
How do I know this?
Because 6 months ago I joined up with one of them because I’m saving to buy a place and I wanted to see what would come up on me in one of these searches. I DID A SEARCH ON MYSELF and nearly had a heart attack because I was listed as having had a bankruptcy. I’ve never had a bankruptcy and I was quite upset to see this and long story short had a hell of a time getting this false data removed from my record. So do I know that data on these things can be inaccurate. But, wow, lots of stuff on there about me, going back to the late 80s and aside from this crazy bankruptcy thing, the rest of it WAS accurate! All the places I’d lived. All my old phone numbers. These sights also list RELATIVES and “associates” and former business and schools. Its all out there!
What’s on these reports is public information. It isn’t running someone’s credit. For that you need the person’s social security #, and running someone’s credit without that person’s written permission is QUITE a serious illegality and actionable with damages. I would doubt Co$ does that, if for no other reason that they wouldn’t have someone’s SS#. But paying a monthly fee to these places like PeopleFinder and so forth most probably IS how they find former still ins who have been gone for decades. Name, age, town, state – that’s all that’s needed, and bingo.
Well, this all may be TMI or possibly very unwelcome news with regard to this subject but in any event here it is and I hope it proves helpful in some way.
I’ll have to look up the article I found, but my brother, having been in a sensitive branch of the military, was trained on how one can get themselves removed from these sites. He has an easy/obvious reason, but there are ways you can get yours removed (and it’s horrid that with duplicate names, one can end up connected with things that aren’t theirs since MANY prospective landlords & smaller-business employers use these sites!) altogether, beyond even inaccurate info!
That said – when someone uses a site like this it does NOT show up as a credit inquiry, but I have friends who are exes that HAVE had actual credit inquiries show up due to CO$ checking their credit as a potential creditor (not sure how they manage that, but they do…). Also the attorneys they use have access to sites such as Lexus Nexis which can be used to do the same (& tend to be much more accurate) which, based on what I’ve heard from a few people, sounds like how they’re getting their data. But there ARE ways to tell if that type of system has been used to access ones’ data and unless there is a provable legal interest (not “oh they COULD maybe sue us”) where if someone knows they’ve been watched or checked could constitute a violation of privacy.
The internet has brought a LOT of good and made finding info on CO$, for example, very easy. But sadly can be used to invade privacy quite easily unless one knows how to privatize their information completely! My brother showed me at one point, but I’m betting there are contributors here that can speak into how you can control your information as an average private citizen, as well!
Golden, I wouldn’t hold your breath for the Trump Administration to revoke the cult’s tax exempt status for two reasons; the first being that the power to do this is not the President’s but the IRS’s, which in turn is part of the Dept of the Treasury, and second, there is no upside to this for Trump as he is now under the covers with the Religious Right who comprise his core base – you know – those 15 million who voted in the primaries and made him the nominee? Those people are for the most part Evangelicals who believe that if fringe religions like Scientology get their tax exempt status revoked then THEY will be next, and the government will want THEIR tax status revoked. Its the same “logic” that compels the “2nd Amendment people” to lobby against legislation for background checks to determine whether or not someone is of sane mind to own a gun – if the effective laws can prevent mentally ill people from owning guns, then the government’s NEXT step will be to take guns away from people who are NOT mentally ill. This is the way they “think”. Anyway, the Christian Right has made their Faustian bargain with Trump, which of course doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t throw them under the bus, because he can be depended upon to throw anyone under the bus if it serves him to do so, but it doesn’t serve him to do so, at all.
“Evangelicals who believe that if fringe religions like Scientology get their tax exempt status revoked then THEY will be next, and the government will want THEIR tax status revoked.”
Evidence for this?
Evidence! Ok, fair enough, Bix.
Not sure if you’ll consider it “evidence” but I have politically uber-right conservative evangelical relatives in Georgia who told me this.
They loathe the Church of Scientology – it appalls them, because of abortion. They’re well aware of the hypocrisy of this “church” pretending to be all for “family values” when in actuality it has punishing policies that split up families and force its clergy to have abortions.
On the other hand (they explained) they don’t want to “rock the boat” when it comes to tax exemptions for established religions, so even though they hate Co$ they will not agitate to have their tax status removed.
Unlike Catholics or Jews, Evangelicals vote as a block – 81% of them voted Republican in the last presidential election. As a group they are quite powerful politically and important to the Republican Party because they vote as a block. If the Evangelicals wanted to they could make a LOT of trouble for the Church of Scientology.
AS A VERY LARGE GROUP of churches, the Evangelicals do not decry Co$. Nor, will you ever hear any of their Christian Right leaders saying anything against Co$. They could if they wanted to. There’s plenty of material there for them to condemn.
But they don’t, ever. Correct me if I’m wrong.
They believe that the goal of the government and all Democrats is to destroy God and the family and religion and to turn all of American society into morally corrupt and degenerate, tax paying slaves. The government is a God-less entity. “The power to tax is the power to destroy” and the government wants to destroy religion by taxing it.
Ergo, since Co$ is a legal church, the Evangelicals will not publicly condemn its abuses in the media. They’ll stand by Co$ because to attack it is to leave themselves open for attack.
This is what my relatives told me., Bix. Its what they believe, what their Evangelical friends believe and its what their pastor tells them, they said.
So there’s my evidence. I wouldn’t mind being wrong about it, I’d like to believe that my Georgia relatives are not as typical of the Evangelical mindset as it would appear.
One clarification: When I said that the Evangelicals will “stand by” Co$ I don’t mean they will publicly defend or counter the accusations of Co$ human rights abuses. I misspoke somewhat. What I meant was that they will not publicly ATTACK CO$. They (meaning their leaders) remain SILENT in the media with regard to Co$’s Disconnection policy, Fair Game policy, and silent too about the female exScientologists claims of having been ordered by Co$ to undergo abortiions. Their silence in the media about such things is what I meant when I said they will “stand by” Co$,
Thank you for this Bixntram! I’m getting REALLY sick of these blanket statements for which I’d technically qualify (as would a LOT of people on this & Tony’s site that really afraid to say so out loud because of the blanket labels) as Evangelical, because we’re non-denominational Christians. And nope, we don’t ALL love Trump (even if we didn’t like Hilary either) nor do ANY that I’ve spoken with want to see CO$ keep their tax exemption!
I’ve worked with two different churches I’ve attended in the past 5yrs (big ones, too…) on SOP for ind ministries & tax filings & we have EXTENSIVE handbooks on ALL rules we’re required to follow because we HONOR them & cant stand watching ANY religion (even other Christian churches or the many disgusting TV guys…) openly flout tax rules & have no issue with ANYone breaking rules losing their exempt status!
Because as I read this disgusting bull… from CO$ trying to bring in ever more $, we’re all kicking in to buy grocery cards, turkeys & other things for Thanksgiving to ensure no families go without Thanksgiving dinner.
Note: I was a recipient of this type of charity & even given a CAR from a church I did NOT attend when I was a single mom. I moved, changed churches, still have all my friends & no one was mad at me!!! Only thing that was asked of me was to “pay-it-forward” when I was in a better place by helping others!
NO year-end fundraisers, no $ collecting, just organizing to get through Thanksgiving, then jump into Christmas season where we’ll be adopting foster kids & families-in-need to ensure they have gifts & food since holiday breaks are tough on families who typically count on free lunch @school during school. So yeah – getting really tired of being thrown into labeled buckets by posters I typically respect the hell out of!
Jenny,
I never said that Evangelicals Christians don’t help or care about people, or that their churches don’t do much needed good works.among the poor, nor that ALL Evangelical Churches are flouting tax rules (or that any of them are , for that matter, as that’s not something of which I’m knowledgeable. I only know how Co$ flouts tax rules, not any other church.
I’m sorry that what I wrote, or the way I wrote it, caused you to extrapolate that I was lumping Evangelical Christians in with the Church of Scientology as regards the latter’s abuse of their tax exempt status and its fraud in extracting money their parishioners believe is helping humanity but which is actually not helping anyone except Davit Miscavige.
I never intended to communicate such a gross inaccuracy, and if I did, please accept my apology.
I appreciate that & no, I didn’t take it as thinking you’d said other churches don’t do good works (you’ve actually said the opposite many times about CO$ not being a “church” because they do NOT do the good things others do) I reread & realized my post sounded like I took it that way. I meant to just comment on why I get so disgusted w/their end of year push for donations while other churches/religions are helping others. (All the churches I’ve worked with use a June-June fiscal year because Christmas is such a busy outreach time.)
Reading your follow-up post about relatives & experiences you’ve had helps me also see what you’ve experienced & yeah, sadly I’ve met a Some Christians that don’t want to open that can of worms – usually the ones that follow the celebrity pastors who do much of the same personal enrichment crap that DM does.
Thankfully I’ve been at churches with pastors like the one in Clearwater that Mike’s become friends with who will openly speak out against CO$ (ours even mentioned it in a sermon & how we should all be loud & help work against any cult or organization abusing people, esp in the name of religion) and other abusive cults and aren’t closed minded & bigoted as, sadly, some of the loudest ones out there are the ones who twist the Bible & what the message is supposed to be to support their own twisted prejudices & few things bother me, as a Christian, than people like that (Pat Robertson anyone?!?! Vomit!) and for people like that, I truly apologize!
Just please know that though a lot of “us” do & say things that are the opposite of love & grace, most of us aren’t like that. I’m willing to do ANYthing to see these guys lose their tax-exempt status & wouldn’t support or submit to any pastor or leadership that would fear speaking out or hide while something like the CO$ exists simply to protect their own interests! And I’m sincerely sorry for all those that use the excuse of being a Christian to hide or avoid addressing this horrible abuse head-on. That’s not the Jesus I’ve learned about – He was flipping over tables in the temple of people taking advantage of people & spoke out against the leaders of his own religions at the time (Judaism – the Pharisees) who were being legalistic & classifying the poor, the sick, etc. as unclean or less… so when I hear of people using that as an EXCUSE for anyone to be abused, taken advantage of, lied to, etc… it disgusts me in a way I don’t have words to express… I’m SO sorry! I just do hear a lot of people grouping all Christians together, just like they do with Muslims, Scientologists, etc… and if there’s anything I’ve learned here & at Tony’s blog, it’s that when we stop looking at any group of people as individuals who each deserve to be treated with dignity & that each individual person & life is precious and unique… then it feels like we do the same thing CO$ does in devaluing the individual then that’s where it becomes easier to judge & dismiss.
I absolutely respect (so much) what you’ve been through, how you feel for people still suffering from the mind-f%*k and especially how you speak out about it all! So that’s where I get bummed because I totally get why anyone who’s experienced CO$ would be disgusted by organized religion in general! My faith is everything to me, but I respect everyone’s right to believe (or not) and truly HATE the abuses & DO want to help.
I just feel sometimes the anger & disgust people feel towards their CO$ experiences cause the assumption that anyone involved in religion of any kind is deluded, brainwashed or unwilling/unable to speak out when we see something wrong. I just know that’s not my reality or the reality of most people I know.
(Sorry for the rant/novel!)
Jenny, I just returned to the blog and read your post above and I just want to hug you right now!
Understood and agreed on all, and thank you for reminding me of what I often preach and God help me, I do mean “preach” to others:
“…its that when we stop looking at any group of people as individuals who each deserve to be treated with dignity & that each individual person and life is precious and unique …then if feels like we do the same thing Co$ does in devaluing the individual then that’s where it becomes easier to judge and dismiss”.
Jenny, I believe with my whole heart and soul in what you said here, and I needed it pointed out to me that my language of late has not reflected this.
I do wrestle with a kind of automatic prejudice against the group amorphously called, “the Christian Right”.
It isn’t analytical. Its emotional. Long and boring story as to why. “Why” isn’t important. Its all stupid.
Analytically, I know its wrong. Analytically, I know its unfair and unhelpful and inaccurate. And stupid. Not to mention, hypocritical.
After all, I can’t go around sounding off about intolerance while reserving the right to be intolerant myself!
I can’t rant against painting groups with a broad brush and do the same thing!
So, Jenny, don’t apologize because you just helped me a lot.
You are you,a unique and caring individual, and a good kind persona and there are lots of good,kind,caring individuals in your group, and there are bad people in every group..
Thank you for reminding me of this truth.and,again, last but not least, I’m glad you’re here.
Absolutely agree. Religious people affiliated with organized religion abhor the practices of COS but believe it will be the first domino to fall, and that the anti-scientology crowd is a few ex-COS members covering a larger group of atheists and agnostics who want to take away IRS protection for every religion.
There was absolutely a buzz of fear running though this crowd with the rumor that Leah Remini was going to move to Jehovah’s Witnesses next, and I am glad that Mike Rinder put that rumor to bed.
I think Chris Shelton thinks that he is tapped out as far as COS goes, and has moved to Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons. All he is doing is diluting the message that brought him subscribers in the first place, and representing himself as an expert on critical thinking with respect to faith– he is up against youtubers who spent decades honing their expertise on this area while he spent decades in the Sea Org.
Aqua, Trump cannot order it taken. Obamao ordered the IRS to do that with some Tea Party orgs and the IRS got put through the shredder for not following the correct legal steps.
That is also why so many policies of the last Admin are now undone. They were not legally put into place. Just illegal fiat.
Hopefully he will request that the IRS investigate. That is ALL he can legally do.
Which is 1000X more than the last President did.
Wynski, I know Trump can’t order it. Perhaps my post was unclear as I wrote it in a hurry. A president can’t exec order to take away or give tax exempt status, you’re right. He can only as you say exert pressure on the Tax Commissioner to investigate the legitimacy thereof in that the head of the Dept of the Treasury is not elected but appointed by the President. Perhaps what I wrote was unclear because I emphasized and expanded a great deal on Trump getting the Republican nomination by (largely) Evangelical Christians. And lastly, if Trump would exert this pressure on the Dept of the Treasury / IRS to start looking into the legitimacy of Co$’s tax exempt status I would not only vote for him, I would write him a thank you letter including a total apology for every snarky thing I’ve ever said about him to anybody. It would put me completely on his side, seriously.
Aqua, Trump wasn’t voted in by Evangelical Christians. The tipping point demographic wise were Democrats who crossed over (or stayed home) in states that have been Dem (Wisconsin & Florida for instance). Due to disappointment with the prior 8 years. Also those Dems who REALLY didn’t like Hillary. If Bernie had been the nominee he probably would have won. So, it wasn’t the Evangelical Christians as they would not have voted Dem no matter who ran.
Wynski, you are very dear to me 🙂 Again, I agree. I didn’t say that Evangelical Christians voted Trump IN. Or else, I didn’t intend to say that, and perhaps my language was unclear.
What I MEANT was that Evangelical Christians were and are his CORE base. They put him over the edge to become the Republican nominee.
They weren’t enough to get him elected once it was between him and Hillary and you’re absolutely right that many Dems REALLY didn’t like Hillary – many of them Millenials – who, when Bernie didn’t get the nomination, picked up their marbles and went home, didn’t vote.
And given how many Millenials I personally know who refused to vote and would have voted for Bernie if he had been the nominee, I would agree that he very likely would have been President if he had been the nominee. The many young kids I know (and I work with them so I know them) ADORED Bernie! Go figure 🙂
Well, for one thing, they’re up to their necks in student loan debt, starting from the age of 22. But that’s another subject.
Actually a quick search on the internet pulls up articles indicating that the biggest fear evangelicals or other churches have about losing tax-exempt status is more directed at the statute they not be directly involved in politics. The Christian right wing – who now form an impressive faction in Congress – are already working to make that an issue of the past by suggesting reworking the Constitution to allow less separation between religion and state. (look up the Dominionists). Actually, I read that the IRS has not investigated any church for that or other reasons since 2009, although the article referenced above from The Hill indicates that only the Department of Treasury could initiate such an investigation by the IRS – they will not respond to individual calls for such action.
And several states have thrown out lawsuits regarding tax status from petitioners that objected to how the church provided certain “lifestyle” perks for their clergy, like housing allowances (although they certainly don’t reach the bar of ostentation that the “Chairman” attains).
I also read about how certain evangelical churches try to ameliorate such vulnerabilities by becoming visibly involved in other “good works” that cross ideological political lines, like fighting against racism and human trafficking.
It would seem their biggest concern would be to lose tax status for their large and profitable schools and universities, so they keep up with what the government believes is necessary. And it would appear that CoS is trying to imitate those efforts with their superficial “charity” shell games. I imagine there are as many minions there researching the situation as there are producing hateful internet swill on their detractors.
The best case scenario may simply be to go after DM himself and leave the tax status thing alone. Jim Bakker, the famous evangelist, was convicted of fraud and conspiracy for making promises he could not fulfill. (And his opulent lifestyle was used as evidence of personal profit from such fraud).
As was of course LRH himself in 1978 – convicted of illegal business practices for making false claims about his ability to cure illnesses in France – for which he was sentenced to four years in prison that he never served (and people wonder why he loved that navy model of living as much as possible in international waters?). Several other evangelists have been indicted on income tax fraud – another personal crime that has to do with individual tax responsibilities and not the exemption of the church itself..
And going after the head of a church who is disproportionately benefitting from his status seems far more likely to be successful if there is not much other management infrastructure. In other words, having an autocrat at the top might be a good thing if it would provide proof of disproportionate personal benefit..
It’s hard to know if the abuses that exist now in CoS would continue in the vacuum of regime change, but that just might be an easier legal course to initially follow, imho. And it would certainly send shockwaves throughout the org (which sounds more and more fragile and tenuous with everything I see).
Remember, they never got Al Capone for all the heinous crimes he committed. He got convicted of tax evasion.
Actually we support background checks, and support making govt agencies having a mandatory reporting of their records, which most states and military bodies oppose.
What we oppose is mandatory checks on private sales which would result in a defacto gun registration, which we vehemetly oppose.
The NICS system is a mandatory check that every FFL dealer must complete before a firearm transfer. States and governmental bodies are NOT required to submit their data, leaving the database incomplete.
Mandatory for us, optional for govt and military, = completely flawed system.
Do you begin to see our frustration with gun control proposals that ‘sound reasonable’ but in execution are horribly flawed?
Haaaaaa!!!!! Thanks RB for this most hilarious post!!!! Laughed so hard had tears streaming down my cheeks!!!! Brilliant.
Me too. I can just imagine people telling miscabbage things and ending up being so confused that they haven’t the faintest idea what he’s talking about!!
I’m on the last bit of your book Karen. It’s absolutely brilliant. Thanks for writing it. I still don’t know how you sea org guys put up with and actually survived the shit that you lived through. A bloody miracle!!
Karen, just finished your awsome book. I’m check out all the omissions on you website as time permits. Mega thanks!
I can’t even begin to imagine MicroMouse’s thought processes now. And supposedly, President Trump may be entering the fray against Scio…which means MicroMouse will be square in the headlights again, the last place he could ever wish for.
Yep, “blinded by the light,” sounds like a song we all know well hey?
Scientology is earning its place in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. It’s days of being a too hot a potato being thrown around the official judiciary are hopefully coming to an end.
Bye bye MicroMouse! Bags packet yet?
RB is the best thing since clams on the half shell, but he took more vacation days than an SO member will throughout his Billion Year Contract!
Awesome RB!
BTW, here is a recent (one day ago) video of Valley org with SO staff. Maybe grist for your comedy mill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKT7kiMX-Qo
This is so funny – love you RB
Welcome back, RB!
Your comeback piece today was the hoot!
OK that’s great, but I was actually hoping after the second frame that a fight would break out. My buddy Freddy was once selling Dianetics books and sold one to some guy’s wife (Freddy was a good looking, charming guy to women – but also good at martial arts and abrasive towards men). The husband came back shortly afterwards, grabbed some money out of his hand and thrust back the Dianetics book. Freddy fucked him up. I was hoping to see the two SO guys get similarly fucked up for all their rudeness.